How to live in Pattaya in Thailand on ten dollars a day or less

The average visitor to Pattaya may wonder why anyone would want to live in Pattaya, Thailand on less than ten dollars a day. This is because your average visitor is a holidaymaker on a package tour booked into thickly carpeted plush luxury hotel where you could not get two coffees for ten dollars let alone live for a day.

Pattaya is a big city not everbody is the same boat. There is a big mix of people living in Pattaya. There is the luxury hotel and condominium crowd then there are the ordinary people. Escapees from the cold grey of Europe. The not so rich living amongst the less wealthy Thai people.

Pattaya really does have something for everyone. You could eat a different ethnic dish every day for a month without repeating the country or venue. You could drink in five different bars a night for a year and never enter the same one twice. Along the way you could spend an awful lot of money and return home penniless in no time at all.

This guide is for that group of people who will be staying in Pattaya for a month or so on a limited budget and want to keep some cash aside for other pursuits.

I am assuming that if you are staying in Pattaya that you do have somewhere to live. Whereas there is cheap budget accommodation available knowing you will be away for a month or more in the same location means planning. There are some very good cheap deals in really nice places if you book in advance.

Then again you may be staying in a friends Condo or with your girlfriend or boyfriend.

Nowhere to stay? Don't give up. Check out Couchsurfing or look at some of the other links in How To Travel Cheaply in Southeast Asia.

The currency exchange rate at the present time is going up and down like a Yo Yo. For the sake of this hub I am going to say that ten US Dollars can be exchanged for 354 Thai Baht which is a generous amount. 

Eat an English Breakfast. Most establishments which serve breakfasts are open 24 hours a day so breakfast as a meal can easily fit in with a holiday lifestyle. Take a look at the Pattaya Breakfast Review. You will be able to choose a decent and quite substantial meal for 100 Baht or less. Look also on How to Live in Pattaya for Five Dollars a Day or Less to extend your choice widely.

For me two meals a day are enough and frequently I will manage on just the one plus a snack or two.

There are a number of places in Pattaya which serve 99 Baht 'Special' meals from lunchtime onwards. These are tremendous value for money. Okay you don't get a drink with it but they will fill you up.

So with Breakfast and a second 99 Baht meal you have spent only 199 Baht which leaves you with 155 Baht. Your choice really. You could have three beers in some bars for that or you could fit in another 100 Baht meal somewhere else and have one beer.

The meals below are all daily 'Specials' and many places will do them. There is usually something different on offer every day of the week. Some may charge up to or around 130 Baht but are still very good value for money for Western Food.

If you are going to stick with the 199 Baht a day food regime you will have a bit of cash to play with. If you are going to have a beer be a little careful. Happy hour is always a good bet. 50 Baht for a Heineken....but this may rise to 120 in the unhappy hours.

If you choose your venue properly you may well be able to watch a movie or a football match. There is free pool in some places too. You may even be able to have one drink in a Go Go bar and come out with change in you pocket. Mind you I would feel a bit of a cad if I had not bought a girl a drink too...and 'ladies drinks' can be a little pricey at times.

Then there is the free entertainment 'people watching'. Take a look at my hub Pattaya on Five Dollars a Day or Less for the best venues.

For further advice on managing on a budget in Pattaya please take a look at The Backpacker Guide to Pattaya in Thailand and How To Travel Cheaply In South East Asia.